Ventilating apparatus for toilet hoppers



July 31,1945. H. F.v WHEELER 2,380,891

' VENTILATING APPARATUS FOR TOILET HOPPERS Filed Julyl 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet` l /f Y, ul..

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. H. P. WHEELER VENTILATING APPARATUS FOR TOILET HOPPERS July 31, 1945.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 14.` 1944l W INVENTR.

Patented July 3l., 1945 VENTILATING APPARATUS FO TOILET HOPPERS Herbert P. Wheeler, Springfield, Mo.

Application July 14, 1944, Serial No.` 544,847

1 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus for ventilating toilet hoppers, one of the objects being to provide a suction fan of new and novel construction which is substantially noiseless and free of vibration and can be set up at any point either close to or remote from the hopper and, when set in motion, will withdraw air from beneath the seat on the hopper so that' the spread of objectionable odors thus can be prevented.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds,

the invention consists of certain novel details voi construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts Without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In .the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the complete apparatus, a portion of the hopper to which it is joined being also illustrated.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the Ventilating fan and its motor, a portion being broken away.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on line 44, Fis". 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates a portion of the back of a toilet hopper on which is mounted a hollow, boxlike intake member 2 having a nat inlet tube 3 extended therefrom at a point where it can project beneath the movable cover 4 of the hopper. One end of the member 2 has an outlet 5 for the reception of a attened nipple 6 to which is connected a pipe 'I leading 'to the casing of a suction fan. This pipe can 4be rigid or flexible and can be extended any desired distance away from the hopper. In some cases the suction fan used as a part of the apparatus can be located in the basement of a building and the suction pipe leading therefrom can be extended to a hopper located at a point on an upper floor of the building.

The means employed for effecting a suction shock-absorbing cushions I3 of rubber or other suitable material.

Blocks of wood or the like indicated at I4, can be interposed between the posts and the cushions I3 and the upper ends of the posts can be screwthreaded so as to engage nuts I5 secured on the base or bottom 9. Thus by rotating the posts they .can be adjusted longitudinally, thereby providing efficient means for insuring proper placement of the motor on a oor or other supporting surface. p

The housing of the motor 8. is provided, at one end, with radial ears IB to which a ring I1 is secured by means of bolts I8. This ringis welded or otherwise securely fastened to the back plate I9 of a housing and, as shown, this back plate has a concentric offset portion forming a circular recess 20 and also is provided with an annular out-turned flange 2|.

'I'he shaft 22 of the motor 9 is extended through the plate I9 and has keyed or otherwise secured thereto the hub portion 23 of a fan. 'I'he blades of this fan are curved away from the hub in the direction of rotation,v as indicated at 24 in Fig. 3,

. and all of the blades extend to the periphery of a disk '25 secured to shaft 22 and positioned for rotation within the recess 20.

A substantially cylindrical housing 26 has an open side in which is fitted the annular ange 2| to which the housing is secured by means of bolts 30 or .the like. This housing completely surrounds the fan formed by disk 25, blades 24 and hub 23 and is provided at the center of that side thereof remote from 'the motor, with an inlet tube 3l which, as shown, can be ilared toward the housing, the flared portion being indicated at 32.

A tangential outlet ltube 33 opens through the periphery of the housing 28 and is connected to that end of the pipe 1 remote from the hopper.

In practice the nipple 6 is wedged into the open end of the' member 2 on the back of the hopper and is connected by the pipe l to the inlet tube 3l of the ian housing. The fan is adapted to be rotated at low speed whenever a circuit thereto is closed and. while it is not so shown, it is to be understood that a switch in the form of a button or the like can be located adjacent to the hopper so that the circuit can be closed at will so as Ito effect an exhaust of air from beneath the seat whenever desired. The operation of the motor results in rotation of Ithe fan blades at high speed and .the blades are so constructed that they will effect a strong suction of air through the pipe 1 and tube 3l and expel the air through :the outlet tube 33.

As the fan is mounted on cushioning means noise due to vibration will be reduced .to the minimum and, because oi' the particular construction of the fan there will be little, if any, vibration to absorb. Vibrations are further reduced because the fan operates at low speed. The fan and its housing are assembled readily and the entire structure is so simple that it will not easily get out of order.

What is .claimed is:

In a Ventilating attachment for toilet hoppers, a slow speed motor having a housing and a shaft, adjustable cushioned supporting means for the housing. a plate secured to one end of .the housing and having a concentric recess in one side and an annular ilange projecting beyond its other side, a disk rotatable within the recess and secured to and driven by the shaft of the motor, a hub secured to said shaft, curved blades extending from the hub to the margin of the disk and rotatable in one direction to eiect a suction, a housing having an open side tted on and surrounding the flanged portion of the plate, means for securing said housing to the flanged portion, and a marginal outlet and a central inlet in the housing, said blades, when rotating, constituting means for forcing air from the inlet to the outlet.

HERBERT P. WHEELER. 

